Taking Possession Of Your Report

[Terrel L. Shields]

USPAP class Instructor urged narrative writers to take possession of their report and not use 3rd person comments, Do it in the first person. "I did this...I did that" not "We did this. The appraiser did that." Don't distance yourself from your work.

Started today to search my reports and realize I do use third person way too much...

 

[AMF13]

I made that change after going on my own. Who was the "we" anyway at that point. Me, myself, and I?

 

[BRCJR]

It was a "standard" I was taught. I changed as soon as I was licensed.

My attorney friend asked, "simply, who signed the report?" I answered, "I did."

When there is a co-signer it may be necessary, I don't know. I doubt it makes any difference if you are under scrutiny.

 

[George Hatch]

Active voice (I did this) vs passive voice (this was done)

I don't really see why it would come up in an appraisal standards course, but sometimes those discussions take on a life of their own.

 

[Rick Stillman]

USPAP class Instructor urged narrative writers to take possession of their report and not use 3rd person comments, Do it in the first person. "I did this...I did that" not "We did this. The appraiser did that." Don't distance yourself from your work.

Started today to search my reports and realize I do use third person way too much...

I always thought it was a little strange the way things were worded, such as: "The appraiser did not notice any electrical problems." So who was the appraiser? Me. Oh.

But then it was explained to me that the context of the report must be very clear. If I stated that I inspected the electrical wiring, then I have to explain who I am and therefore why I am inspecting it. Saying the appraiser did something makes it immediately clear to the reader exactly what happened, even though it's not the way that I would normally state something like that.

So I adapted. Once I understood the reason for that it made sense. Any communication from a lender to me always referred to "the appraiser" doing something. Not me, although the message was written directly to me.

It's code. It tells everyone involved that I'm not a newcomer - I know the words, and I know how to state them in the correct context. [wink wink]

Okay - I got it. I didn't like it too much, but it exists for a reason, and I'm not changing. I've adopted many ways of doing things that are different than the way I might think of doing them, because it's the appraiser's way. I wear that badge with pride, and shine it every night!

I knew this would come up someday. It took a lot longer than I expected.

Appraisers live to discuss things. Too many of them are not as important as the price of tea in a Chinese cafe. (remember that old saying?)

Define report. Define client. Define scope of work. Define define. Define get a life.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

I don't really see why it would come up in an appraisal standards course,

Two day C E. It was on second day, about avoiding mistakes.
"We" slipped by due to two of us signing, but I've not had a second since 2015

 

[A K]

That's what Mark Smeltzer said in the advanced report writing and case studies course.

 

[residentialguy]

The appraiser does not agree with this thread.

 

[Deleted member 134708]

Proper to use either way. You just can’t switch back and forth. Says the English system we created.

 

[George Hatch]

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/passive-voice

passive voice definition

One of the two “voices” of verbs (see also active voice ). A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb. For example, in “The ball was thrown by the pitcher,” the ball (the subject) receives the action of the verb, and was thrown is in the passive voice. The same sentence cast in the active voice would be, “The pitcher threw the ball.”

Note : It is usually preferable to use the active voice wherever possible, because it gives a sense of immediacy to the sentence.